Crimping tool



Nov. 10, 1964 G. N. WILLIS 3,156,139

CRIMPING TOOL Original Filed Oct. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /4 56' w E60 .1; la

34 0 52 3/ 46 //Z&( 36 r r 4 f la 50 34 INVENTOR. Gen/w- M WLL/s' BY v Mw/Z/mu/ Nov. 10, 1964 G. N. WILLIS 3,156,139

CRIMPING TOOL Original Filed Oct. 3, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Gen/v7- M mLus United States Patent 3,156,139 CRIMPENG TOOL Grant N. Willis, Bristol, Conn, assignor to Cannon Eiectric Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Original application Oct. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 60,079, new Patent No. 3,126,750, dated Mar. 31, 1%4. Divided and this application Feb. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 172,048 3 Claims. (Cl. 8115) The present invention relates to a tool having a plurality of converging jaws, and it relates particularly to a crimping tool adapted to crimp a contact terminal for an electrical connector about the end of a conductor wire. This is a division of application Serial No. 60,070, filed Gctober 3, 1960, which has issued as US. Patent 3,126,750 on March 31, 1964.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a tool having a plurality of opposed jaw members which converge during actuation of the tool, wherein novel wedge means is employed to insure completion of converging movement of the jaws before the jaws may be released so as to diverge outwardly back to their initial, unactuated positions Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved jaw tool of the character described wherein the jaws are mounted in one end of an elongated housing and are actuated by sliding movement ofan actuator bar mounted in the housing, and wedge means for requiring completion of the actuating stroke of the shaft in the housing, the wedge means including a wedge member slidable between the housing and the bar, shoulder means on the shaft being engageable with the wedge member to move the wedge out of wedging position upon completion of the stroke, and latch means in the housing for holding the wedge out of wedging position until the bar has returned to its initial position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a crimping tool of the character described in which the crimping jaws in the forward portion of the housing are caused to converge in a crimping stroke by forward axial movement of the jaws within the housing, the jaws being cammed radially inwardly against an inclined cam surface within the housing, the jaws being caused to diverge upon reverse axial movement of the jaws in the housing by means of the outward expanding force of an elastomer collet member disposed between the jaws.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear during the course of the following specification wherein the detailsof construction and mode of operation of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal central section, with portions in elevation, through a crimping tool according to the present invention, showing the parts of the tool in the fully opened position;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal central section, with portions in elevation, illustrating the crimping tool of FIG. 1 with the parts thereof disposed in a partially closed position of the tool;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section, with portions in eleva- FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal central section similar to FIG. 5, but with the parts of the tool disposed in the closed position at the completion of the crimping stroke.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate three successive phases in the operation of the crimping tool; Thus, in FIG. 1, the jaws are in their fully open positions, with the actuator shaft at its rearwardmost position in the housing. In FIG. 2, the jaws are partially closed, with the actuator bar moved forwardly from its rearwardmost position, and with the wedge means engageable between the housing and-the shaft to prevent rearward motion of the bar, thus to insure completion of the crimping stroke. In FIG. 3, the jaws are fully closed, with the actuator shaft in its forwardmost position, and with the wedge latched in its inoperative position so as to permit return of the actuator bar rearwardly in the housing and to permit expansion of the jaws.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the manner in which a contact terminal is crimped about a conductor wire, the jaws being in. the fullyopened position in FIG. 5 corresponding to the position of the jaws in FIG. 1, and the jaws being fully closed in FIG. 6 at the completion of the crimping stroke corresponding to the position of the jaws in FIG. 3.

The crimping tool 10 shown in the drawings includes an elongated housing 12 which, for convenience in production and assembly, may comprise two elongated housing sections that are fastened together. The housing 12 has forward and rear end portions 14- and 16, respectively, the rear end portion 16 being recessed at 18 to receive one end of a handle or lever 26 which is pivotally connected to housing 12 by means of pin 22.

The housing 12 is provided with a longitudinal bore 24' which extends from the forward portion of the housing to the recess '18 at the rear of the housing. An annular axial recess 26 is provided in the forward portion of housing 12 for connecting a forward housing portion 28 for enclosing the jaws of the tool, the forward housing portion 28 comprising a .rigid collet member. The forward housing portion ZS-has a radially outwardly extending flange 30 at its rear or base end which is received in an annular groove 31 in recess 26 so asto lock the forward or jaw housing portion 28 in place.

The forward housing portion-28 includes a cylindrical portion 32 and an inwardly tapered forward portion 34 having an inclined annular inside surface 36- which functions as a cam surface for camming the jaw members radially inwardly in the manner hereinafter described in detail. An axial opening 38 is provided in the front end of the forward housing portion 28.

An actuator bar 46 is slidably mounted in the bore 24 of housingiZ, bar 4% having a front end face 42 and having a notch 44 at its rear end. A small arm 46 is pivotally mounted onthe handle 20 adjacent to pin 22, with the free end of arm 46 being engaged in the notch 44, so that when thehhandle 20 is pivoted toward the housing 12, the arm 46 will. move the actuator shaft 40 forwardly in the body 12. It is tov be noted that the arm 46 functions as a toggle link, providing increased mechanical advantage as thejbar. 40 moves forwardly toward the completion of the crimping stroke.

' The bore 24 includes an enlarged portion forming a recess 48 in housing 12 for receiving a coil compression spring 50. Spring 56 is disposed about the bar 46 and engages apin 52 extending transversely through bar 40 so as to bias the bar 46 rearwardly in the housing 12. A spacer washer 54- may be provided in the front end of recess, 48 as a seat for spring 59 to control the amount of compression of spring Siland hence the biasing force of the spring against bar 40.

The front end of actuator bar 40 is provided with a slot 56'which is enlarged rearwardlyoof the front end face 42 to provide rearwardly facing shoulders 53. A tubular guiding member 60 is connected to the front end portion of actuator bar 46 and extends forwardiy therefrom axially through the tubular forward housing portion 28. The guide member 60 is provided with a head portion 62 at its rear end which seats against the shoulders 58 of actuator bar 40, the tubular guide member 60 having a shank portion 64 which extends forwardly from head portion 62 through slot 56 in bar and into the forward housing portion 28, guide member 69 also having an enlarged forward body portion 66. This enlarged forward body portion 66 includes a cylindrical outer wall portion 68 at the front end of guide which is slidable within the axial opening 33 at the front end of the housing, and also includes an outwardly tapering part 70 to the rear of the cylindrical part 68 which serves as a guide for the jaw members.

The guide member 611 has an axial bore 72 therethrough, with a counterbore 74 in the forward portion thereof, a contact terminal being receivable in bore 72 and counterbore 74 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 so as to be positioned for the crimping operation. A countersink 76 at the front end of counterbore 74 provides an entrance ramp or guide for insertion of the contact terminal 112.

A plurality of jaw-receiving slots 78 are radially disposed through the enlarged forward body portion 66 of guide member 60, communicating with bore 72 and counterbore 74. Any number of the radial slots 78 may be regularly spaced about the guide member 60, according to the number of jaws employed, three of the slots 78 being shown in the drawings.

A plurality of elongated jaw members 80 are disposed within the jaw housing 28, with the forward portion of each jaw member being slidably engaged in a respective radial slot 73. Each jaw member 80 includes jaw teeth 82 at the front end of the jaw and adapted to project radially inwardly into the counterbore 74 in the closed position of the jaws to apply the crimp to the contact terminal. Each jaw member 81 is provided at its rear end with an enlarged foot portion 84 having a flat rear surface 86, a radially outwardly projecting heel portion 88, and a radially inwardly projecting toe portion having a forwardly facing shoulder 92. The forward portion of each jaw member 80 has an inclined outer edge 94 which is engageable against the inclined annular inside surface 36 in the forward housing portion 28 for camming the jaw radially inwardly upon forward movement of the jaw in the housing.

An actuator ring 96 is disposed in the forward housing portion 28 to the rear of jaws 80, ring 96 having a flat forwardly facing face 98 which abuts against the fiat rear surfaces 86 of the jaws 80. A snap ring 100 in the forward housing portion 28 limits the rearward travel of actuator ring 96. The actuator ring 96 includes a short rearwardly projecting boss 102 which engages against the front end face 42 of actuator bar 40, so that forward movement of bar 40 in housing 12 will cause actuator ring 96 and jaws 86 to slide forwardly in the housing, whereby the jaws St will be cammed radially inwardly against the inclined inside surface 36 of the housing. An annular positioning rib 104 may be provided on the shank portion 64 of actuator member 60 within the axial passage 106 through actuator ring 96 for centering the parts.

The guide member 60 is provided with an external annular flange 108 which extends radially outwardly in front of the forwardly facing shoulders 92 on jaw members 80, the flange 10% causing the jaws 80 to move 1 rearwardly in the housing upon rearward sliding movement of actuator bar 40 and tubular guide member 61).

An elastomer collet 110 is circumferentially disposed about the shank portion 64 of guide member 60 between enlarged forward body portion 66 and flange 198. The

elastomer collet 111i serves to bias the jaws 80 radially outwardly in the housing, collet 110 being compressed radially inwardly when actuator shaft 40 and actuator member 6!) are moved forwardly so as to cam the jaws 8t) inwardly, and the collet 111) shifting the jaws 80 radially outwardly when the jaws are shifted rearwardly by rearward movement of bar 40 and guide member 60.

It is to be noted that the spacing between the head 62 and flange 108 of actuator guide 66 is such as to permit the elastomer collet member 110 to pivotally shift the jaws 8d at the completion of the jaw opening movement. At the commencement of the crimping stroke, the jaws will first pivot until their inclined outer edges 94 seat flush against the annular inclined surface 36 in the housing, and thereafter the jaws 80 and the actuator member 6% will move axially as a unit, with the jaws shifting radially inwardly until the crimping stroke is completed.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 5 and 6, the contact terminal 112 which is to be crimped is inserted into the bore 72 and counterbore 74 of guide member 60, with the forward contact portion 114 of terminal 112 extending into the bore 72, and the enlarged crimping cup portion 116 of terminal 112 being disposed in counterbore 74. Conductor wire 118 is inserted into the cup portion 116 of the terminal, the insulation covering 120 of wire 113 being stripped back from the bare end of the wire to provide metal-to-metal contact between the wire and the terminal cup portion 116.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, the novel wedge means for insuring completion of the crimping stroke will now be described. The wedge means is enclosed in a housing recess 122 adjoining the bore 24 between recesses 18 and 48. One wall of housing 12 in recess 122 comprises a surface 124 which is angularly inclined relative to the axis of actuator bar 40 so as to extend rearwardly and radially inwardly. A wedge block 126 is disposed in recess 12?. between the inclined surface 124 and the bar 40, the block 126 having a ball 128 seated in a hole therethrough and extending outwardly from block 126 so as to be engageable against the inclined surface 124 and the bar 40. A compression spring 130 is engaged at its respective ends against the housing 12 and the wedge block 126 so as to bias the block 126 rearwardly into its wedged position. It will be apparent that the shaft 40 is free to slide forwardly in housing 12, but will be locked against rearward movement by the wedge.

The mechanism for insuring completion of the crimping stroke includes latch means for latching the wedge in a non-wedging, inoperative position at the completion of the crimping stroke so as to permit return of bar 4%, guide member 60 and jaws St) to their original positions for commencing another stroke, with means for releasing the latch when the parts have fully returned to their original positions. This latch means includes a latch member 132 which is pivoted to housing 12 within recess 122 on a suitable pivot pin 134, said latch member extending forwardly of the pin 134. The latch member 132 is biased toward bar 40 and wedge block 126 by a coil compression spring 136 engageable at one end against housing 12 and at its other end against latch member 132. A forwardly facing shoulder 138 is provided on latch member 132, and latch member 132 has an inwardly facing lip 140 adjoining the shoulder 138. An inclined cam follower surface 1 .2 extends rearwardly and inwardly on latch member 132 from the lip 140.

The latch means is completed by a pin or lug member 1144 which extends outwardly from the bar 40, and which is provided with an inclined cam face 146 which is engageable against the opposed cam follower surface 142 on the latch member 132.

The operation of the latch means is as follows: At the beginning of the crimping stroke, with the parts disposed in the positions illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the wedge comprising the wedge block 126 and the ball 128,

is in its rearwardmost position, being in wedging engage ment between the shaft 40 and the inclined housing surface 124 so as to permit forward sliding of bar 40, but to lock the bar 40 against rearward sliding movement. At this time, the pin or lug 144 on bar 40 holds latch member 132 in an outermost position against the force of spring 136, permitting block 126 to move rearwardly under the lip 140 of latch member 132.

When actuation of the tool first commences, with body 12 being grasped in the hand and lever 20 being pivoted toward body 12 by closing the fingers about lever 20, the pin or lug 144 shifts forwardly with bar 40 out of engagement with the latch member 132, thus permitting the latch spring 136 to pivot the latch 132 inwardly until the lip 140 engages against the outer surface of block 126, in the manner shown in FIG. 2. In this position of the parts, the wedge is operative, being freely slidable under the lip 140 of latch member 132 to accomplish the wedging action.

At the completion of the crimping stroke, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the pin or lug 144 on bar 40 has moved forwardly sufiiciently to engage the Wedge block 126, moving the block 126 forwardly until the latch member 132 snaps inwardly behind block 126, with the forward shoulder 138 on latch 132 engaging against the rear end of block 126 so as to hold the wedge forwardly in an inoperative position. Thus, with the wedge held inoperative by latch member 132, when the handle 20 is released, the shaft 40 will be moved rearwardly by spring 50, jaws 80 being shifted radially outwardly by the elastomer collet member 110. The wedge will remain latched out of operative position until the bar 40 has returned rearwardly in housing 12 sufficiently for the cam face 146 on pin or lug 144 to engage the cam follower surface 142 on latch member 132 so as to shift the latch member 132 radially outwardly from behind the wedge block 126, thus preparing the tool for another crimping stroke.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A crimping tool which comprises: an elongated housing having a tubular forward portion open at its forward end, the forward portion of the housing having an annular inside surface which inclines forwardly and radi ally inwardly; a plurality of jaws in the forward portion of the housing and engageable against said annular inside surface; elongated actuator means longitudinally slidable in the housing and engageable against the jaws, said actuator means including a forward portion axially disposed in the forward portion of the housing between the jaws, said forward portion of the actuator means having a forwardly opening bore therein to receive a member to be crimped and having radial openings therein through which portions of the jaws are movable to engage the member to be crimped, forward movement of the actuator means in the housing camming the jaws radially inwardly against said annular inside surface of the housing; a clearance between said jaws and said forward portion of said actuator means, and a resilient elastomer collet member circurnferentially disposed within said clearance and carried by said forward portion of the actuator means rearwardly of said radial openings therein and engaged against the jaws so as to primarily radially shiftably bias the jaws outwardly.

2. A crimping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said actuator means includes an elongated actuator bar extending rearwardly in the housing from said forward portion of the actuator means; a lever pivotally connected to the housing to the rear of said forward portion of the housing; and means connecting said lever to said actuator bar whereby pivotal movement of the lever relative to the housing will cause said actuator means to slide forwardly in the housing.

3. A crimping tool as defined in claim 2 which includes spring means engageable between the housing and the actuator bar for biasing the actuator means rear wardly in the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,414,123 Enders May 5, 1922 1,911,821 Gangler May 30, 1933 1,984,234 Schmid Dec. 11, 1934 2,369,180 Rosenthal Feb. 13, 1945 2,880,007 Stoner Mar. 31, 1959 2,985,047 Van Oort May 23, 1961 3,029,670 Over et a1. Apr. 17, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,164,123 France May 5, 1958 

1. A CRIMPING TOOL WHICH COMPRISES: AN ELONGATED HOUSING HAVING A TUBULAR FORWARD PORTION OPEN AT ITS FORWARD END, THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE HOUSING HAVING AN ANNULAR INSIDE SURFACE WHICH INCLINES FORWARDLY AND RADIALLY INWARDLY; A PLURALITY OF JAWS IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE AGAINST SAID ANNULAR INSIDE SURFACE; ELONGATED ACTUATOR MEANS LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN THE HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE AGAINST THE JAWS, SAID ACTUATOR MEANS INCLUDING A FORWARD PORTION AXIALLY DISPOSED IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE HOUSING BETWEEN THE JAWS, SAID FORWARD PORTION OF THE ACTUATOR MEANS HAVING A FORWARDLY OPENING BORE THEREIN TO RECEIVE A MEMBER TO BE CRIMPED AND HAVING RADIAL OPENINGS THEREIN THROUGH WHICH PORTIONS OF THE JAWS ARE MOVABLE TO ENGAGE THE MEMBER TO BE CRIMPED, FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATOR MEANS IN THE HOUSING CAMMING THE JAWS RADIALLY INWARDLY AGAINST SAID ANNULAR INSIDE SURFACE OF THE HOUSING; A CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID JAWS AND SAID FORWARD PORTION OF SAID ACTUATOR MEANS, AND A RESILIENT ELASTOMER COLLET MEMBER CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CLEARANCE AND CARRIED BY SAID FORWARD PORTION OF THE ACTUATOR MEANS REARWARDLY OF SAID RADIAL OPENINGS THEREIN AND ENGAGED AGAINST THE JAWS SO AS TO PRIMARILY RADIALLY SHIFTABLY BIAS THE JAWS OUTWARDLY. 